Chosen Inadequacies
by Allergic-To-Sunlight
Summary: HBP Missing Moment. Dean, Seamus and Neville discuss Harry's... uh... "maturing" body. Short one-shot set the first night back at Hogwarts in HBP. Background Dean/Ginny. Canon.


Disclaimer: … that word right there really just says it all…

A/N: So this has been in my head for a while and I'm in a writing mood so… yeah – this is just a short one-shot set the first night back at Hogwarts in HBP. Missing moment.

As always, my amazing beta Aidan is _not_ responsible for any mistakes – I am. :)

So here we go…

**Chosen Inadequacies **

Dean walked into the Sixth Years' dorm, slamming the door shut behind him. Seamus and Neville were standing at their respective beds, methodically unpacking their trunks like they do every year. Dean looked around.

'Are Ron and Harry here?' he asked in a half whisper.

Neville gazed around the room, as though expecting them to jump out at him, and shook his head.

'No,' Seamus answered, before Neville could speak, 'Why?'

'Just wondering…' Dean sighed and sat on his bed, putting his head in his hands.

They were all silent; the only noise coming from the rustling of clothing and the slamming of books on bedside tables. After a few long moments of silence Dean burst, 'Have you noticed how much Harry… _grew up_ over the summer…?' He looked up.

The other two looked up from their trunks in mild surprise.

'Yeah, actually,' replied Seamus, nodding, 'He's a lot taller-'

'But it's not just height!' Dean ranted over him, getting up off his bed and pacing round the room. 'He looked really young last year, but now… he's all…' he struggled, searching for the right word, 'Old…'

'I know what you mean – did you _see_ all the girls looking at him when he walked into the Great Hall?!' Seamus threw down a t-shirt, as if to emphasise his somewhat incredulous annoyance.

'That could have been because of what happened last year though…' said Neville quietly, speaking for the first time.

'But no one, apart from you lot, knows what happ-'

'Exactly,' Neville continued, cutting across Seamus, 'It's a bit of mystery, isn't it?'

Dean and Seamus looked at each other for a moment.

'You could be on to something there… but – no – seriously, I _swear_ I saw a bit of drool at the corner of Ginny's mouth! And-'

'Ahh… so _that_ is what all this is about…' Seamus muttered, rolling his eyes.

'-she was with him when everything happened – that's not mystery!' Dean continued, either not hearing or ignoring Seamus. Neville didn't bother correcting him – telling him that although him, Luna and Ginny were there, they had no idea what _really_ went on.

'Alright, alright, but… look at him! He looks really good this year-'

'Ooh, developing a crush there Seamus?!' Neville laughed, elbowing him, his thoughts of the Department of Mysteries extinguished.

Seamus pushed him roughly away, 'Shut up!' but he was grinning.

'Yeah…' Dean said to himself gloomily, 'Some guys have all the luck…'

Neville heard him.

'I wouldn't call Harry "lucky".'

'Why not! He has _everything_! He's good-looking – as Seamus has established – he's Quidditch Captain, he's quite smart, he's famous, he's _rich_ apparently _and_ every girl seems to want him.'

'You forgot about Voldemort,' added Neville.

'Oh yeah, that too.' Dean sunk back down on to his bed, resigned.

'Okay… what about the bad things?' began Seamus, in an obvious attempt at cheering his friend up, 'He's… not that good with girls!'

'Pffft, who bloody cares – he's _Harry Potter_ – he doesn't _have_ to be!' snapped Dean sadly.

'Yeah…' Seamus grimaced, 'Suppose… er… oh! He wears glasses!'

Dean looked at him incredulously. 'How is that a bad thing?'

'Er…'

'Exactly! There's nothing _bad_ about him – he's brave, _nice_ and he _doesn't-bloody-die_!' Dean barked, his voice rising with each word.

'Oh!' said Seamus, his face lighting up, 'I've thought of something…' he gestured at his body.

'What?' asked Neville who hadn't seen the gesture as he had gone back to un-packing.

'He's really _skinny_, isn't he…?' ginned Seamus looking between Dean and Neville.

'Yeah…' said Dean, a calculating look on his face.

'So he's not gonna be very…' Seamus cleared his throat as he continued, 'Er… _defined_-' he gestured to his chest, 'Or… _big_…' he sniggered and wiggled his eyebrows as the others started to laugh.

'No girl, not even a _Weasley_, likes a guy like that,' Seamus finished, smug in his mis-guided understanding of the opposite sex.

Just then, the door opened and Ron and Harry walked into the dorm.

'What's so funny?' asked Ron, as they both walked over to their beds.

Seamus, Dean and Neville all looked at each other, trying to stifle the last of their laughter.

'Nothing,' said Neville quickly as his laughter died, his voice betraying some of the guilt he felt talking about Harry behind his back.

'Okay…' said Ron, frowning, quite clearly not caring enough to ask about the blatant lie.

'I'm so hungry,' said Harry to no one in particular, rubbing his stomach subconsciously.

'Sneak off to the kitchens then,' suggested Ron, yawning.

'Nah, I'll just wait 'til breakfast – I don't fancy loosing more points before school even starts,' said Harry, rummaging in his trunk, looking for his pyjamas.

Not noticing the three pairs of eyes watching him intently, he started to undress.

He removed his t-shirt.

Underneath he _was_ skinny. But there was a layer of defined, wiry muscle under his skin that shone prominently through…

Dean's disheartened sigh carried across the room and Harry looked up. They all looked away, but they might as well have started whistling. Harry had seen them. Dean hoped he would think it was just a trick of the light or that they were all looking at something behind him. Otherwise he would probably think they were all gay and lusting after him… and he didn't think he could take that.

Finally, after what seemed like a very long time, that was, in reality, only a few seconds, Harry began getting changed again. Sadly, he turned away while fumbling with his belt, so, from Dean's position, it was hard to see if Seamus' other prediction was true… but if he just moved to the left…

_Damn_, Dean thought, _Ginny better be into guys with near-perfect eyesight_.

**The End**

A/N: Hope you liked it! Feel free to review, but don't feel you have to – no pressure – it's your choice… ;)


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